Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy is a treatment theory and approach developed in the past thirty years, inspired by the humanist and existential movements within psychology. Fritz Perls is considered the founder and pioneer of this kind of therapy. Gestalt Psychology pertains particularly in the field of perception. The essence of its theoretical foundation can be summarized as follows: The whole is made up of parts, but the parts taken individually by themselves do not reflect the whole. To the contrary, the nature of the whole determines the parts. Perls has developed this method of treatment by taking the organism as a whole together with its surrounding environment. Gestalt therapy is regarded as a therapy geared towards one’s personal development. The methodology of this approach can be applied to a vast range of counselees. Gestalt is the German word for “shape” or “form”.

The Gestalt Approach views the person as an organism that tries to fulfill its needs through interacting with its environment. The important aspect here is the person’s awareness of his or her own needs and of what the environment has to offer. 

The Gestalt Approach views the person as an organism that tries to fulfill its needs through interaction with its environment. The important aspect here is the person’s awareness of his or her own needs and of what the environment has to offer. One gets used to certain forms of awareness in the process of growing up, and these forms become chronic through repetition, turning into habit and blocking certain experiences of the self. These blocked off parts are gradually denied and excluded from the self. One grows less and less aware of those parts of one’s self, and no longer lets them live. Change and growth are processes realized by raising and strengthening awareness. The counselor enters into active interaction with the counselee and guides the exercise of active awareness.

Face-to-face sessions are preferred.